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Dec 2024
1h 16m

My Dear Oliver with Roy Thibodeau | TKYP...

Ryan Kurczak
About this episode

In this episode of The Kriya Yoga Podcast, we speak with Roy Thibodeau, a student of Kriya Yoga teacher, Oliver Black. https://www.yogacharyaoliver.com/

Ryan Kurczak and Roy Thibodeau talk about the book "My Dear Oliver", a limited edition book, which is a collection of the letters that Paramahansa Yogananda sent to Oliver Black.

About our guest Roy Thibodeau

Golden Lotus Yoga for Spiritual Awareness (GLYSA) was founded by Roy E. Thibodeau & Mary Ann Thibodeau in 2011.  We have been disciples of Yogacharya J. Oliver Black for over 45 years and GLYSA was founded to assure the continuation our lineage, legacy, and heritage through Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya, Sri Yukteswar, Paramahansa Yogananda, and Yogacharya Oliver.   Yogacharya Oliver was one of Paramahansa Yogananda’s most advanced direct disciples, establishing the Detroit, Michigan Self Realization Fellowship (SRF) Center which he ran as an SRF minister from 1951 until 1980’s.  He also established Song of the Morning Yoga Retreat in Northern Michigan which he ran until his MahaSamadhi September 16, 1989.  He remained an SRF Minister, Authorized by Paramahansa Yogananda & SRF to give Kriya Yoga Initiation to qualified candidates until his MahaSamadhi.  You can find out more about Yogacharya Oliver at www.yogacharyaoliver.com.  Because of Yogacharya’s relationship and loyalty to Paramahansa Yogananda & SRF he was never able to authorize any of his disciples to Initiate candidates into Kriya Yoga.

Because of this situation and knowing our destiny to continue our Linage through Yogacharya Oliver we pursued authorization to perform Kriya Yoga Initiations through the help of Roy Eugene Davis another direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda and brother disciple to Yogacharya Oliver.  We asked him to ordain us authorizing us to give Kriya Yoga Initiation under Yogacharya Oliver’s authority.  Roy graciously agreed and ordained us under Yogacharya Oliver’s authority.  Because of that we incorporated two names into the name of our organization.

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For continued inspiration and instruction, please read my new book, An Essential Guide to Kriya Yoga Practice. Now available in hardcover and softback on Amazon. 

Your host, Ryan Kurczak, is a Kriya Yoga meditation teacher and author. He was authorized to teach Kriya Yoga in 2005, by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct student of Paramahansa Yogananda.

For more information about this work please visit:

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Hundreds of hours of videos related to Kriya Yoga and spiritual growth.

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